Look on both sides of the shield.
Source: tatoeba (266977)
Shield
/ʃiːld/
Synonyms for "shield" (408 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (82)
Noun(18 words)
achievementadvocateaegisalerionanimal chargeannuletapplyapply toargentarmarm guardarmamentarmaturearmorarmor platearmorial bearingsarmoryarmsazurebackstop
Show 40 more words
bandeaubarbar sinisterbatonbearingsbendbend sinisterbilletblanketblazonblazonryblessblockbody armorbordurebroad arrowbucklerbufferbulletproof vestbulwarkbumpercadency markcanopycantonchain armorchain mailchamberchampionchapletchargecherishchevronchiefchitincloakclothecloudcoatcoat of armscoat of mail
Adjective(2 words)
Verb(2 words)
Strong matches (122)
cockatricecompass aboutcontraceptiveconvoycopecopyrightcoronetcortexcovercover upcoveragecoveringcovertcoverturecowlcowlingcrash helmetcrescentcrestcross
Show 66 more words
cross molinecrowncurtaincushiondashboarddefencedefenddevicedifferencedifferencingdodgerdrapedraperyeagleeclipseelytronensureenvelopepispermermineermineserminiteserminoisescutcheonface maskfalconfencefendfenderfessfess pointfieldfilefilmfinger guardflanchflankfleur-de-lisfoot guardfretfurfusefusilgarlandgogglesgovernorgriffinguaranteeguardguard againstguardrailguisegulesgyronhabergeonhand guardhandrailhangingharborhard hatharnesshatchmenthauberkhavenhelmetheraldic device
Noun(25 words)
Adverb(1 words)
forcefully defended position
Related words (204)
hidehonor pointhoodhousehousingimpalementimpalinginescutcheoninsulateinsulationinsureinterlockkeepkeep from harmknee guardknuckle guardlabellaminated glasslay onlay over
Show 122 more words
life preserverlifelinelightning conductorlightning rodlionloricaloricationlozengemailmake safemantlemantlingmarshalingmartletmasclemaskmetalmottomudguardmufflemulletneedlesnestlenombril pointnose guardobduceobscureoccultoctofoilorordinaryorleoverlayoverspreadpadpaddingpalepallpalladiumpalypanoplypatentpeanpericarppheonpilotplateplate armorpolicepreservationpreservepreventiveprophylacticprotectprotectionprotective clothingprotective coveringprotective umbrellapurpureput onquarterquarteringrefugeregisterride shotgun forroofrosesablesafeguardsafetysafety glasssafety plugsafety railsafety shoessafety switchsafety valvesaltiresavescreenscumscutcheonscutescutumseat beltsecuresecurityshadeshadowshellsheltershin guardshroudspinesspread eaglespread overstand bysubordinarysuit of armorsun helmetsuperimposesuperposetendtennetesttestathick skintincturetorsetressureumbrellaunderwriteunicornvairveilvertvestmentvindicatewardwindscreenwindshieldwreathyale
Noun(38 words)
Verb(17 words)
immuniseinsulateinsulatesoccludesplay defensepreserve chemical sampleprotect informationprotect reputationprotectedprotectssandbaggedscreenscreenedsecuressteeledweatherizeweatherproofs
Adjective(6 words)
Determiner(1 words)
no heat flow
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: buckler, achievement, advocate, aegis, alerion.
- Sentence evidence is available for shield, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "shield".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "shield"
Keep "shield" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "shield" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "shield", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "shield" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
16 entriesMore specific
14 entriesCollocations
12 entriesballistic shieldface shieldkite shieldprotective shieldround shieldshield againstshield datashield fromshield students fromshield the eyesshield wallshield yourself
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
58 translations across 37 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- وِقَاء noun (anything that protects or defends)
- وِقَايَه noun (anything that protects or defends)
Bulgarian
1 entries- защи́та noun (anything that protects or defends)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 保護者 /保护者 noun (anything that protects or defends)
- 防護物 /防护物 noun (anything that protects or defends)
Czech
2 entries- kryt noun (anything that protects or defends)
- štít noun (anything that protects or defends)
Danish
2 entries- -skjold noun (anything that protects or defends)
- skjold noun (anything that protects or defends)
Dutch
2 entries- bescherming noun (anything that protects or defends)
- scherm noun (anything that protects or defends)
Esperanto
1 entries- ŝirmilo noun (anything that protects or defends)
Estonian
1 entries- kaitse noun (anything that protects or defends)
Finnish
2 entries- kilpi noun (anything that protects or defends)
- suoja noun (anything that protects or defends)
French
1 entries- bouclier noun (anything that protects or defends)
Galician
1 entries- escudo noun (anything that protects or defends)
German
1 entries- Schutz noun (anything that protects or defends)
Greek
1 entries- ασπίδα noun (anything that protects or defends)
Hebrew
2 entries- מָגֵן noun (anything that protects or defends)
- שִׁרְיוֹן noun (anything that protects or defends)
Hungarian
1 entries- védelem noun (anything that protects or defends)
Icelandic
1 entries- skjöldur noun (anything that protects or defends)
Indonesian
1 entries- pelindung noun (anything that protects or defends)
Italian
4 entries- copertura noun (anything that protects or defends)
- protezione noun (anything that protects or defends)
- rifugio noun (anything that protects or defends)
- riparo noun (anything that protects or defends)
Korean
2 entries- 보호물 noun (anything that protects or defends)
- 보호자 noun (anything that protects or defends)
Latin
1 entries- integumentum noun (anything that protects or defends)
Latvian
3 entries- aizsargs noun (anything that protects or defends)
- aizsegs noun (anything that protects or defends)
- ekrāns noun (anything that protects or defends)
Lithuanian
1 entries- apsauga noun (anything that protects or defends)
Macedonian
1 entries- штит noun (anything that protects or defends)
Norwegian Bokmål
3 entries- skjerm noun (anything that protects or defends)
- skjold noun (anything that protects or defends)
- vern noun (anything that protects or defends)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- سپر noun (anything that protects or defends)
Polish
1 entries- osłona noun (anything that protects or defends)
Portuguese
1 entries- escudo noun (anything that protects or defends)
Romanian
1 entries- pavăză noun (anything that protects or defends)
Russian
1 entries- защи́та noun (anything that protects or defends)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- štȋt noun (anything that protects or defends)
- шти̑т noun (anything that protects or defends)
Slovak
2 entries- kryt noun (anything that protects or defends)
- štít noun (anything that protects or defends)
Slovene
1 entries- ščitnik noun (anything that protects or defends)
Spanish
1 entries- escudo noun (anything that protects or defends)
Swedish
3 entries- skyddsplåt noun (anything that protects or defends)
- skärma noun (anything that protects or defends)
- sköld noun (anything that protects or defends)
Tibetan
2 entries- ཕུབ noun (anything that protects or defends)
- འགེབས་སྲུང་ཡོ་ཆས noun (anything that protects or defends)
Turkish
1 entries- kalkan noun (anything that protects or defends)
Welsh
1 entries- aes noun (anything that protects or defends)
Sample sentences
25 total sentences available.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
Source: tatoeba (1490950)
I used his beheaded body as a shield.
Source: tatoeba (1538635)
He used the book as a shield.
Source: tatoeba (3680430)
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "shield"?
Closest matches include buckler, achievement, advocate, aegis, alerion.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "shield"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.